Religious and Metaphysical Language in Albanian and English Literature: A Comparative Study on Thomas S. Eliot and Naim Frashëri Poetic Languages

Abstract

This article explores the use of religious terminology in the poetic language of T. S. Eliot and Naim Frashëri through a comparative analysis of their explicit and implicit religious expressions. The study examines how metaphors, symbolism, and poetic forms con- vey spiritual meaning through close readings of selected poems (Frashëri: Falja/Prayer, Fjalët e Qiririt/The Words of the Candle and E Vërteta/Truth; Eliot: Four Quartets). The compar- ison shows how the literary traditions of both authors balance traditional religious contexts with symbolic, deeply meditative, and modern aesthetic forms. The article argues that both poets turn language into a medium for religious and philosophical contemplation, drawing on Persian, Indian, and European mythological and modern cultures. By employing universal el- ements, poetic prayer, and symbolic imagery, they contribute to literary discourse, situating po- etry at the intersection of language and spirituality. In order to differentiate between doctrinal articulation and indirect, apophatic communication, the study engages conceptually with theo- ries of P. Ricoeur, N. Frye, and G. Lakoff and M. Johnson on symbolic language and conceptual metaphors, thereby moving from descriptive comparison to theoretical problematization. The findings indicate that Eliot creates a predominantly implicit, symbolic, and contemplative dis- course influenced by modernist poetics and Christian theology, while Frashëri employs a more explicit, mystic, and doctrinal language influenced by Bektashi and Persian traditions. Overall, the comparison shows that both poets use distinct linguistic metaphors to express their religious thoughts and experiences.